AI-supported mammography screening saves time & detects more cancer
A new study from Lund University in Sweden has found that using AI resulted in the detection of 20% more cancers compared with standard screening, without affecting false positives.
Technology & innovation
This archive covers technology and innovation breakthroughs that improve lives, protect the environment, and expand human possibility. From medical devices to clean energy tools, the stories here focus on what’s working and who’s making it happen.
World’s largest wind turbine is now fully operational and connected off coast of China
A single wind turbine off China’s Fujian coast can now power roughly 36,000 homes — and it’s the largest ever connected to a grid. The MySE 16-260 stretches 260 meters across, wider than the Eiffel Tower is tall, with each rotation generating up to 34.2 kilowatt-hours of clean electricity. It’s built to withstand winds of 287 km/h, which matters in a stretch of sea where near-gale conditions blow more than 200 days a year. An 18-megawatt machine is already in the works, hinting at how fast this ceiling keeps rising. Each leap in turbine size makes offshore wind cheaper and more credible as a backbone of the clean energy transition worldwide.
Scientists create novel edible, biodegradable food packaging to replace plastic
The developers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong believe the new bacterial-cellulose-based material can offer a sustainable, easily available and non-toxic solution to plastics in food packaging.
Combo therapy trial achieves 94% remission rate for Hodgkin’s lymphoma
The trial was so successful the U.S.’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) ordered it be halted early so that the FDA could expedite approval of the therapy to treat stage 3 and 4 Hodgkin Lymphoma.
World-first space solar demonstration beams power from orbit to Earth
Space-based solar power just crossed from theory into reality: a Caltech team has, for the first time, beamed energy from orbit down to a receiver on Earth. The signal arrived at a rooftop in Pasadena exactly when, where, and at the frequency engineers predicted — proof that the precision needed for a future full-scale array is achievable. The demonstrator weighed just 50 kilograms and used flexible, lightweight arrays never before flown for this purpose. The eventual vision is enormous and far from cheap, but the appeal is simple: panels in space see no night and no clouds. If this technology matures, clean power could one day reach communities far beyond the grid’s reach.
Microparticle therapy reverses MS in 100% of mice, cures one third
The finding has the potential to lead to new treatments for not only multiple sclerosis but other autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes.
Meningitis vaccine trial in Mali and The Gambia shows promise in “groundbreaking” development
The Serum Institute of India and Path successfully tested an effective and affordable vaccine for meningitis, a disease that claims the lives of an estimated 250,000 people each year.
Scientists identify bacteria that can break down ‘forever chemicals’
PFAS are used in nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, and firefighting foams, and have been linked with higher cholesterol, lower fertility, developmental delays in children, and a greater risk of cancer.
Groundbreaking Israeli blood cancer treatment has 90% success rate
Hadassah-University Medical Center in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem has announced an “unprecedented achievement” in the treatment of multiple myeloma cancer – the second-most common hematological disease.
Human trial of mRNA universal flu vaccine begins
“A universal influenza vaccine would be a major public health achievement and could eliminate the need for both annual development of seasonal influenza vaccines,” said Dr. Hugh Auchincloss, acting NIAID Director.